Painting with Parts of Speech
Absolutes
 L. Alicia Monroe 2009
Oklahoma Writing Project Teacher Consultant
Adapted from Harry Noden’s Image Grammar (1999), Don and Jenny Killgallon’s Grammar for Middle School (2006), and
Constance Weaver’s The Grammar Plan Book (2007)
Painting with Parts of Speech: Absolutes
Compare and contrast the sentences below.
She counted to ten.
Eyes covered, she counted to ten.
She counted to ten, anticipation growing.
Painting with Parts of Speech: Absolutes
To “paint” with an absolute, add a two-word
combination: a noun and an ing verb OR a noun
and an ed verb.
Absolute: noun + ing verb OR noun + ed verb
Examples:
Eyes watering, the chef sliced the onion.
Brian wandered into the woods, a map folded in
his back pocket.
Painting with Parts of Speech: Absolutes
Sentence with no absolute:
The candlelight created a romantic atmosphere.
Sentence with an absolute:
Flames glowing, the candlelight created a
romantic atmosphere.
Sentence with an absolute phrase:
Flames glowing at the center of the table, the
candlelight created a romantic atmosphere.
Painting with Parts of Speech: Absolutes
Sentence with one absolute phrase:
Ethan climbed the rock wall, sweat dripping
from his forehead.
Sentence with two absolute phrases:
Ethan climbed the rock wall, sweat dripping
from his forehead, heart pounding in his chest.
Sentence with three absolute phrases:
Ethan climbed the rock wall, sweat dripping
from his forehead, heart pounding in his chest,
fear mounting at the thought of falling.
Painting with Parts of Speech: Absolutes
Absolutes can begin a sentence:
Music blaring from his iPod, the apathetic
student ignored his assignment.
Absolutes can interrupt a sentence:
The apathetic student, music blaring from his
iPod, ignored his assignment.
Absolutes can end a sentence:
The apathetic student ignored his assignment,
music blaring from his iPod.
Painting with Parts of Speech: Absolutes
Examples of absolutes from literature:
Her feet touching the side of the stone tower
and her hands grasping the rope, Violet closed
her eyes and began to climb.
—Lemony Snicket, The Bad Beginning
Painting with Parts of Speech: Absolutes
Examples of absolutes from literature:
The riders stiffened, eyes flashing from side to
side, then wheeled their mounts around and
galloped away.
—Christopher Paolini, Eragon
Painting with Parts of Speech: Absolutes
Examples of absolutes from literature:
He sat with his shoulders hunched, his eyes
squeezed shut in concentration, and his hands
clasped tightly together.
—Jeanne DuPrau, The City of Ember
Painting with Parts of Speech: Absolutes
Examples of absolutes from literature:
He’d seemed engrossed in our conversation,
but now I could see, from the corner of my eye,
that he was leaning away from me again, his
hands gripping the edge of the table with
unmistakable tension.
—Stephenie Meyer, Twilight
Painting with Parts of Speech: Absolutes
Examples of absolutes by students:
Knees shaking, I prepared to steal home plate.
—Garrett H.
Painting with Parts of Speech: Absolutes
Examples of absolutes by students:
Chin quivering, eyes welling up with tears, the
small girl cried.
—Tisha W.
Painting with Parts of Speech: Absolutes
Examples of absolutes by students:
As I got home, I saw him, arms crossed, waiting
for me.
—Derek S.
Painting with Parts of Speech: Absolutes
Examples of absolutes by students:
The kangaroo, knees bending, anger rushing,
jumped in the air to kick the predator.
—Mindee B.
Painting with Parts of Speech: Absolutes
Examples of absolutes by students:
I sat there quiet, my eyes following the pattern
of the rain.
—Autumn H.
Painting with Parts of Speech: Absolutes
Examples of absolutes by students:
The licking flames smothered the golden field,
smoke rising into the unexpectant blue sky.
—Sara H.
Painting with Parts of Speech: Absolutes
Identify absolutes from literature:
Head down, tail flying, the young dog gave
chase, swerving and turning in pursuit, but
always the rabbit was just out of reach of his
hungry jaws.
—Sheila Burnford, The Incredible Journey
Painting with Parts of Speech: Absolutes
Identify absolutes from literature:
“I bet they were cool ol’ guys,” he said, his eyes
glowing, after I had read the part about them
riding into sure death because they were
gallant.
—S.E. Hinton, The Outsiders
Painting with Parts of Speech: Absolutes
Identify absolutes from literature:
Soon, the crowd of gnomes in the field started
walking away in a staggering line, their little
shoulders hunched.
—J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Painting with Parts of Speech: Absolutes
Identify absolutes from literature:
The raptor struck out with its hind claws, and
with a single swift movement ripped open the
belly of the fallen animal, coils of intestine falling
out, like fat snakes.
—Michael Crichton, Jurassic Park
Painting with Parts of Speech: Absolutes
Arrange absolutes from literature:
Create a sentence with the sentence strips. Write the sentence,
punctuating correctly, and underline and label the absolute phrases.
He picked up Gabe’s Camaro by the torn roof,
the chassis creaking and groaning.
—Rick Riordan, The Lightning Thief
Painting with Parts of Speech: Absolutes
Arrange absolutes from literature:
Create a sentence with the sentence strips. Write the sentence,
punctuating correctly, and underline and label the absolute phrases.
Hermione was running toward them down the
path, Hagrid puffing along behind her.
—J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Painting with Parts of Speech: Absolutes
Arrange absolutes from literature:
Create a sentence with the sentence strips. Write the sentence,
punctuating correctly, and underline and label the absolute phrases.
He sat with his shoulders hunched, his eyes
squeezed shut in concentration, and his hands
clasped tightly together.
—Jeanne DuPrau, The City of Ember
Painting with Parts of Speech: Absolutes
Arrange absolutes from literature:
Create a sentence with the sentence strips. Write the sentence,
punctuating correctly, and underline and label the absolute phrases.
The woman’s eyes scanned the approach to the
forest, her head moving from side to side in a
weirdly regular motion, like someone watching a
slow-motion tennis match without much interest.
—Scott Westerfeld, Uglies
Painting with Parts of Speech: Absolutes
Imitate absolutes from literature:
Write a sentence about a different subject, imitating the structure of the
model sentence. Underline and label the absolute.
Calvin, his hand trembling, did not relax his
hold.
—Madeleine L’Engle, A Wrinkle in Time
Painting with Parts of Speech: Absolutes
Imitate absolutes from literature:
Write a sentence about a different subject, imitating the structure of the
model sentence. Underline and label the absolute phrase.
I’m helpless as the first hunter crashes through
the trees, spear lifted, poised to throw.
—Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games
Painting with Parts of Speech: Absolutes
Imitate absolutes from literature:
Write a sentence about a different subject, imitating the structure of the
model sentence. Underline and label the absolute phrase.
A few hot-air balloons pulled at their tethers
against the darkening pink sky, their
passengers shooting safety fireworks at other
balloons and passing parasailers.
—Scott Westerfeld, Uglies
Painting with Parts of Speech: Absolutes
Combine with absolutes:
Combine the sentences below to make one sentence with an absolute
phrase. Underline and label the absolute phrase.
Kurt was waiting for them by the X-ray arch.
+
His arms were folded across a chest the size of
a rhino’s.
=
Kurt was waiting for them by the X-ray arch,
arms folded across a chest the size of a rhino’s.
—Eoin Colfer, Artemis Fowl: The Opal Deception
Painting with Parts of Speech: Absolutes
Combine with absolutes:
Combine the sentences below to make one sentence with an absolute
phrase. Underline and label the absolute phrase.
Each room was comfortably furnished.
+
The floors were covered with thick carpeting.
=
Each room was comfortably furnished, the
floors covered with thick carpeting.
—Lois Lowry, The Giver
Painting with Parts of Speech: Absolutes
Combine with absolutes:
Combine the sentences below to make one sentence with an absolute
phrase. Underline and label the absolute phrase.
Klaus stepped forward and knocked on Count
Olaf’s door.
+
Klaus’s knuckles rapped right in the middle of the
carved eye.
=
Klaus stepped forward and knocked on Count
Olaf’s door, his knuckles rapping right in the middle
of the carved eye.
—Lemony Snicket, The Bad Beginning
Painting with Parts of Speech: Absolutes
Expand with absolutes:
Write the sentence below, adding an absolute phrase in place of each
caret (^). Underline and label each absolute phrase.
They all fell silent, ^ and ^.
—J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings
They all fell silent, the hobbit standing by the
grey stone and the dwarves watching
impatiently.
—J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings
Painting with Parts of Speech: Absolutes
Expand with absolutes:
Write the sentence below, adding an absolute phrase in place of each
caret (^). Underline and label each absolute phrase.
A convoy of ambulances, police cars, and fire
engines turned into the entranceway, ^ and ^.
—Edward Bloor, Tangerine
A convoy of ambulances, police cars, and fire
engines turned into the entranceway, their
sirens wailing and their lights flashing.
—Edward Bloor, Tangerine
Painting with Parts of Speech: Absolutes
Expand with absolutes:
Write the sentence below, adding an absolute phrase in place of each
caret (^). Underline and label each absolute phrase.
He’s still two feet from the water, lying there, ^,
^.
—Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games
He’s still two feet from the water, lying there,
teeth gritted, tears cutting trails in the dirt on his
face.
—Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games
Painting with Parts of Speech: Absolutes
Compose with absolutes:
In response to the following picture prompts, write
your own sentences with absolutes. Underline and
label each absolute phrase.